The Captain

A friend of mine has been working on relaunching this old watch brand, Marcks & Co., and I finally got my hands on one of the first pieces. I'll be honest, I was curious but cautious. I've been collecting for a while and I've seen plenty of passion projects that don't quite deliver. This one does. The dial is what gets me. Navy Roman numerals, off-white background, it's clean without being boring. I keep finding myself looking at it during the day, which for me is the real test. Flip it over and the caseback is a nice surprise too. The mandala rotor is a cool nod to the brand's Indian roots and the finishing, perlage and blued screws, is better than I expected at this price. One thing I noticed: the crown is a little slippery to grip. Small thing, but I've already passed that feedback along and honestly, knowing this team, I expect it to be one of many things they only get better at as the brand grows. For $1,200 with a Swiss Sellita movement and this level of dial work, I think it's worth it. And knowing the story behind the brand, these watches were originally made for British Indian Army officers, makes wearing it feel like more than just wearing a watch. Glad I picked one up early.